Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-01-29
THE 'LONGSHOREMEN' STRIKE.
Business in the New York Docks Conn
pletely Paralyzed-Thousan OF Men
Out OF Work but Everything Quiet.

NEW YORK, Jan. 2S.
Business on the river front in New York
this morning was almost completely paral-
ized and, with the exception of small
amount of freight being moved by green
hands on one or two piers, very little work
has been done on the docks of the principal
steamship companies since the strike of the
longshoremen commenced.
| The strikers are confident that they will
succeed and gain their demands, and their
next move will be to get the pilots in the
| the ocean steamer service to come out. These
| pilots are organized and should the order 20
out for them TO quit work the strikers hope
| to stop all transatlantic steamers from sailing
in or out of the port of New York. This,
the union men claim, will compel the steam
ship companies TO come to terms.
Along the docks of the big steamers they
are having hard time loading and unloading
vessels. The green hands who went to work
this morning were taken in charge by mem
bers of the iongshoremen's union, were or
ganzed and became strikers themselves.
Steamer Erin of the National line is not
more than half loaded. She should have
sailed yesterday, but will not be ready for
sea before Monday. The Helvetia of the
same line lies at the other side of the same
dock with the bulk of her cargo still on
| UOdTu. AudHS were just dDOut lIlG satue al
the Union docks.
Police captains receive reports from all
along the river front every hour. All was
quiet up to noon.
A circular was issued by the Ocean associ-
alton saying that non-union men would not
be molested bv strikers They would helI
the police in case they were called upon. At
| the headquarters of the Ocean ASSOCIATE on
tins statement was corroborated with the
! further statement that the strike was one sOt
the quietest ever known. The men were in
structed in case of trouble, gotten up by enc
mics of the strikers for the purpose of cast
| ing odium on their cause, to help the police.
| The union was receiving reports from all
points that the strike was progressing favora
| bly, to the association. Not man had gone
back to work and all of them were peaceably
but firmly determin, d to get their demands
before they gave in.
The example set by the longshoremen and
others in knocking off work is being followed
5y other workngmen in Brooklyn. An air
of sympathy is rife among the working class
es which bids fair to include many branches
of industry other than those already affected.
Freight is piled upon the docks, and barges
laden with merchandise and canal boats
loaded with coal are living idle all along the
river front.
Police are scattered along the docks in
small squads, but their services have not
been needed so far.
From Catherine Ferry to Erie basin there
are about 10 900 men lying idle.
| Up to a late hour tins afternoon no disturb
ance of any kind on either side of the river
has beensreported.
At todays meeting of the Ocean Associa-
tion of Longshoremer, many non union and
| freigh, handlers were admitted to member
ship. The hands employed at the docks of
the Stonington line, Hamburg line, Peoples
| line and Pennsylvania road will probably go
out tomorrow. The non union men en-
ployed at the Ward line docks struck
Tor union rates. The men employed in load
! ing ''san marias" also struck for 40 cents per
hour for day work and 60 cents for night
work. Their demands were granted tenn
porarly. The men have Joined the Ocean
and will probably strike tomorrow. Though
the Carondolet of the Clyde line should have
sailed at noon today, her freight was not all
on board by 5 o'clock. There has been no
disturbances during the day or this evening